Annamalai resigns from BJP: Hours after resigning from the BJP, Tamil Nadu leader K Annamalai said that he was “conflicted” whether he was a “BJP person or a Tamilian”. “I told the party on December 4, 2025, that I am going to resign. The party asked me to finish the elections and then go,” he said. He further called on the youth to join politics and the need for ‘clean politics’ in Tamil Nadu.
BJP president Nitin Nabin has accepted his resignation. The BJP in a statement said: “The National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Hon’ble Shri Nitin Nabin, has accepted the resignation submitted by the Ex. State President, Shri K. Annamalai from the primary membership of the Party.”
Hours after quitting the party, Annamalai said that he had joined the BJP to bring about a positive change. He further said that while in the BJP, he never compromised on Tamil Nadu’s identity. He further said that he had expressed his displeasure over certain operational matters in the last 18 months.
Annamalai said new people need to join politics and urged newcomers to register on betheleader.org, where they will be groomed. “We are laying the foundation for a new generation of common man’s politics starting today,” he said. He also said there was a need for clean politics and highlighted the need to avoid defamatory attacks on social media.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran said the party hasn’t lost much in Annamalai’s resignation. “There is no loss for the party. Bharatiya Janata Party is the biggest party in the world,” he said.
Annamalai had met Union Home Minister and BJP president Nitin Nabin in on Tuesday. Annamalai was asked by the BJP leadership to .
K Annamalai, a former IPS officer, is a former Tamil Nadu BJP president and one of its most recognisable faces in the state. He is reportedly keen pursue an independent political path.
Leaders familiar with the matter said Annamalai was asked to return for further talks while he was already headed to the Delhi airport for his flight back to .
The BJP’s central leadership is believed to have tried to persuade him to reconsider his decision. Earlier this week, The Indian Express reported that Annamalai had decided to leave the BJP and that his visit to Delhi was intended as a final expression of gratitude to the party leadership.
Sources said Annamalai had placed two options before the BJP high command: either restore him as Tamil Nadu BJP chief with substantial autonomy and authority for a minimum of seven years, or allow him to pursue a separate political course.
Party insiders indicated that he is considering launching a new political outfit in Tamil Nadu. The development comes after the recent Assembly elections, where the state’s two major Dravidian parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, suffered setbacks while actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) secured a surprise victory in its maiden electoral contest.
TVK subsequently formed the government with support from smaller parties, including the Congress, which had severed ties with the DMK following the elections.
According to sources, Annamalai believes Tamil Nadu’s political environment still offers limited space for a national party to emerge as a dominant force. He reportedly feels that a new regional formation focused on addressing the concerns of diverse sections of society could evolve into a credible alternative in the state.
